You may have seen the recent news that the Internal Revenue Service will now allow houses of worship to endorse candidates for political office without losing their tax-exempt status. There will be congregations and pastors who embrace this change. I, and the congregation I serve, will not be among them.
For those of us who profess to be Christians, we are called to be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ — not to any political party or candidate. Our refusal to endorse political figures is not about staying neutral or avoiding hard conversations; it is not about a retreat from the world. Instead, it is a theological conviction rooted in our identity as the Body of Christ.
At the heart of Christian faith is the declaration that Jesus is Lord. This confession is both spiritual and political. In the early church, it directly challenged the Roman Empire’s claim that Caesar is lord. Today, it reminds us that our highest allegiance is to Christ and the ways of his upside-down kingdom — not to any empire, not to any human authority or to any political power.
When the church aligns itself with a political party or person, it risks losing its prophetic voice. The task of Christians is to speak truth to power, to advocate for justice, and to care for the marginalized — no matter which party is in office. If we are beholden to a candidate, we are less free to critique injustice when it arises. Our loyalty to Christ compels us to hold all leaders accountable, not to campaign on their behalf as a church.
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world†(John 18:36). While Christians are called to be active and faithful citizens, the church is not a tool for political gain. Likewise, empire is not a means for the church to gain power. After all, the way of Jesus is the way of divesting oneself of power (Philippians 2). The church’s mission is to embody God’s love, mercy and justice, here and now. Christian witness must be shaped by the cross, not by party lines.
This does not mean that as Christians we are apolitical. As people of faith, we are called to engage with the world — to advocate for the poor, to seek peace, to confront racism and Christian nationalism, and to defend human dignity and the sacred worth of all people. As individuals, we may identify with particular candidates, or even be one ourselves. We may exercise our individual rights and conscience as we engage in civic life in various ways, but the church should not and will not act as a monolithic voice.
If we are able, we should exercise our right to vote and advocate for that right for others, especially those whose voices are marginalized or suppressed -- but we do so as followers of Jesus who recognize the value of all people and their voices, not as mouthpieces for a party or person. We do so, not as people seeking power so we can coerce others to conform to our particular worldview, but as those who seek to create a world that allows for the flourishing of all people -- no matter who they are, what they believe or how they live.
We should preach the Gospel. We should speak out on moral and justice issues. We should encourage faithful participation in civic life. But we should not endorse candidates or parties, because, for Christians, our hope is not in them. Our hope is in the living Christ.
The Rev. Cindy Briggs-Biondi is pastor of St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Charleston.
